Psalm 119:86

Psalm 119:86

The trustworthy God

We tend to use the word “trustworthy” with caution. If someone is trustworthy at work it means that they can usually be trusted to do their job well, they will keep confidences, and they can be relied upon in a crisis. Inevitably, there are times when all of us slip up, make the odd error, forget to do something or get diverted from the task. This is forgivable with a trustworthy person; they are human after all. 

God is not! If the Bible says that God is trustworthy then so are His commands. He can always be trusted. He will always hear and keep our confidences. He is utterly dependable in a crisis. He never reneges on a promise, and He never goes back on His Word. This should make life easy for us, we don’t have to question His ways, unfathom His mysteries or try and reason out His ways, all we have to do is trust Him!

This unquestioning view of God was commonplace amongst the Jews, it was the starting point of their religion. The questioning of everything was a philosophy introduced by the Greeks or Hellenists, and sadly it has undermined the faith of many ever since. The author of this Psalm is appealing to a trustworthy God who has given trustworthy commands, on this basis he cries for help and for justice. If the persecution he faces is unjustified and without cause, then surely a trustworthy God can vindicate him? That should be the basis for our prayers when injustice and persecution are levelled at us, whatever wayward men and women may invent against us, the Lord is our rock, He is to be trusted and so is His Word. 

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